Grappling tool



July 19, 1960 D. W. OSMUN GRAPPLING TOOI.I

Original Filed June 11. 1952 600 W OJm'u/i INVHVTOR.

GRAPPLING TOOL Dean W. Osmun, 5338 Fieldwood St., Houston, Tex.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 292,849, June 11, 1952. Thisapplication May 428, 1956, Ser. No; 587,533

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-96) This invention relates to grappling tools for usein Wells, and more particularly to tools designed to grippingly engagestuck objects, such as pipe and the like in the removal of such objectsfrom wells.

This application is a continuation of -a prior application, Serial No.292,849, tiled June 11, 1952, now abandoned, by the same applicant.

The invention nds particular application in the operation of oil wellsfor the recovery of pipe which has been broken or cut oit and must beremoved before operation of the well can be resumed. The inventionapplies to grappling tools of the overshot type and embodiesimprovements in the structure and mode of operation of l such toolswhereby their efliciency and adaptability are greatly increased.

' It is an important object of the invention to provide a grappling toolof the kind referred to havingimproved structure for the contraction ofthe tool whereby the tool may be easily manipulated into secure grippingAengagement with the object to be removed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a grappling toolwhose parts are constructed and arranged to facilitate release of thetool from the object or fish when it is desired to disconnect the toolfrom the object.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grappling toolembodying a grappling member ofv increased flexibility and resiliency,whereby the same is more readily conformable to the size of the objectwhich is to be removed under the conditions of use of the tool.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grappling tool havinga support provided with a spiraled tapering seat, and a grappling membercarried by the support and having a tapering face conforming to thecontour of and engageable with the seat to move the grappling memberinto gripping relation to the object to be removed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a grappling toolhaving a support and an expansible grappling member carried thereby, thesupport and member being rotatable and movable longitudinally relativeto each other and having spiraled, taperingfaces engageable uponrelative longitudinal movement between the support and member in onedirection to cause the member to grippingly engage' the object to beremoved, the support having an abutment thereon positioned for endwiseengagement with one end of the member upon relative longitudinalmovement of the support and member in the other direction and thespiraled faces of the support and member being engageable upon rotationof the support when the member is in engagement withA said abutment tocontract the member into gripping contact with an object to be removedfrom a Well and about which said member has been positioned.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a grappling toolhaving a support and a grappling member' carried on the support in amanner to provide vrelative rotation and longitudinal movement betweenthe support `Patented July 19,' 1960 and member, the support and memberhaving spiraled tapering faces arranged to engage upon relativelongitudinal movement between the support and member in one direction,to grippingly engage the member with an object to be removed, said facesbeing disengageable upon relative longitudinal movement between thesupport and member in the other direction to cause the member to releasethe object, the support and member also having means engageable at thelimits of the relative longitudinal movement of the support and memberin either direction and `operable upon relative rotation between thesupport and member to initiate longitudinal movement between the supportand member in said other direction.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings illustrating specific examples of itsstructure, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical, central cross-sectionalview of one embodiment of the invention showing a grappling tool of theovershottype in releasing condition;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in crosssection, of the toolof Figure 1, showing the same in gripping .engagement with an object tobe removed from a well; and,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the linev 3 3 of Figure1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the grappling tool ofthe invention as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 takes the form of anover-shot, which includes a support in the form of a bowl of generallytubular formation, having a tubular guide portion 116 at its lower end.The bowl is provided with an internal spiraled seat i118, media-te itsends, and within the bowl there is a tubular grappling member 120,provided with internal spiraled teeth 122 adaptedv to gr-ippingly engagean object to be removed from a well, such as broken pipe, indicated at144. As its upper end the support has an externally threaded pin portion112 by which the support may be connected to the lower end of anoperating string of tubing, and beneath this pin portion the support hasone or more openings 106 in communication with the interior of thesupport and which lead to the exterior thereof.

The grappling member I is also formed with an external spiraled face124, conforming to the contour of the internal seat 118 of the bowl, andengageable therewith. The internal spiraled seat 118 of the bowlterminates in a downwardly facing shoulder 119, and the externalspiraled face 124 of the grappling member terminates in an upwardlyfacing shoulder 125, for a purpose later to be made apparent. Theshoulders 119 and 125 provide opposed surfaces extending substantiallyat right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bowl. Circumferentiallyspaced longitudinal slots 126 are also formed in the Vgrappling member,these slots terminating in trans- `verse slots 128, inwardly of the endsof the grappling ly, of reduced thickness, serving as tension rings, toregulate the resiliency of the grappling member, so that theV member maybe more readily expanded and contracted. The tension rings 132 and '134terminate in upper and lower end faces 133 and 135, respectively, whichlie in planes positioned substantially a-t right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the bowl.

It vwill be apparent that the yportion of the grappling member betweenthe tension ring portions 132 and 134i may be of any desired thicknessand that the thicknessY of this intermediate portion will not affect theresiliency and flexibility of the grappling member which can readily bedetermined by altering the thickness of the tension ring portions 132and 134.

The bowl 16) has an internal, downwardly facing, annular face 13Sproviding an abutment extending substantially at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the support and positioned for abutting engagementwith the upper end face 133 of the member at the limit of its upwardmovement relative to the support, and further rotation of the support ina direction tending to move the grappling member into contact with theabutment 138 resul-ts in more tightly engaging the spiraled seat withthe internal spiraled face of the grappling member, thus causing thegrappling member to be contracted to more tightly grip the object to beremoved.

The tubular guide 116 provides an internal shoulder 140 whose surface isdisposed substantially at right angles to the axis of the support and ispositioned for endwise abutting engagement with the lower end face 135of the grappling member when the member is in its lowermost position inIthe bowl. When the grappling member is in its lowermost position in thebowl, it will be apparent that the end face 135 of the member will be incontact with the end face 140 of the guide 116, the spiraled face 124being out of contact with the seat 118, and the shoulders 119 and 125being in engagement. Due to the arrangement of the shoulders 119 and125' with their surfaces substantially at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the bowl, however, the grappling member may expandwhen in its lowermost position in the bowl, the shoulders 119 and 125being in sliding contact.

In making use of the invention the bowl is attached to the lower end ofa rod string by the externally threaded pin 112, and lowered into a wellin the condition illustrated in Figure l. The object to be removed, suchas a broken pipe 144 is guided into the bowl through the guide 116 atthe lower end of the bowl, and passes upwardly through fthe grapplingmember 120. The grappling member is preferably of a selected size suchthat the internal teeth 122 thereof will contact the object to beremoved to expand the member somewhat as soon as the object enters thegrappling member. In this condition of the tool the lower tension ringportion 134 of the grappling member may be out of abutting engagementwith the `internal shoulder 149 formed by the upper end of the guide 116and the shoulders 119 and 125 ofthe bowl and grappling member are out ofengagement, as best seen in Figure 2.

After the toll has thus been positioned over the end of the object to beremoved, an upward pull exerted on the tubing string will cause theexternal spiraled face 124 of the grappling member to ride on theinternal spiraled seat 118 of the bowl, to contract the grappling memberinto gripping engagement with the object, whereupon the object may beremoved from the well. In the event that the lower end of the grapplingmember is in abutment with the upper end of guide 116 when the tool ispositioned over the object, the shoulders 119 and 125 of the bowl andmember will be in engagement, so that the member and bowl cannot movelongitudinally relative to each other to engage the spiraled Aface 124-with the seat 11S to contract the member into gripping engagement withthe pipe 144. Under these conditions the operating string may be rotatedto the left to separate the grapping member from the guide, and move themember upwardly relative to the bowl, whereupon an upward pull on thestring will engage the seat 118 with the face 124 to contract thegrappling member into gripping engagement with the object.

In the event that it should become desirable to release the tool fromthe object the rod string may be rotated to the right, which will causethe bowl to move upwardly on the grappling member, until the lowertension ring portion 134 of the grappling member engages upperV end fame140 of the tubular guide portion 116, whereupon further rotation of therod string results in moving the spiraled seat 118 of the bowl away fromthe external spiraled face 124 of the grappling member, whereupon thegrappling member may be rotated with the rod string to thread thegrappling member ofi of the object, or by taking an upward pull on therod string the grappling member may be pulled off of the object.

It will thus be seen that by operation of the tool in the mannerdescribed, sticking of the grappling member on the member by which it issupported is prevented, so that the grappling member is easily broughtto its gripping or releasing position when desired, and no means isrequired for holding the grappling member against rotation relative tothe bowl in order to assure the release or gripping engagement of thegrappling member.

It will thus be seen that the invention, as above described, provides agrappling tool of simple design, having few parts which are likely tobecome worn or broken, and which is easily manipulated to grip orrelease an object to be removed from a well.

The invention has been described in connection with certain specificembodiments of the same, but it will be understood that this is intendedby way of illustration only, and that numerous changes can be made inthe construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimedas new and desired to secure by Letters Patent isl. A grappling tool ofthe character described comprising a tubular support, means on thesupport for connecting the support to an operating string for rotationwith the string, said support having a spiraled seat tapering radiallydownwardly and inwardly toward the axis of the support and terminatingat its lower edge in a downwardly facing shoulder, an expansiblegrappling member mounted on the support for longitudinal movementrelative thereto and having a tapering spiraled face to conform to thecontour of and seat upon said seat and terminating at its upperedge inan upwardly facing shoulder, abutment means on the support positionedfor engagement with said grappling member upon relative longitudinalmovement between the support and member in a direction to disengage saidface and seat to limit such relative longitudinal movement in saiddisengaging direction, the internal diameter of said member when themember is in an unexpanded and uncontracted condition being smaller thanthe external diameter of an object in a well with which the member is tobe engaged, whereby the member will be expanded by the object when themember is moved into surrounding relation to the object, said seat beingmovable in contact with said face upon relative rotation of the supportand member when said one end of said member is in engagelnent with saidabutment means to contract said member into gripping engagement withsaid object.

2. A grappling tool of the character described comprising a tubularsupport, means on the support for connecting the support to an operatingstring for rotation with the string, said support having a spiraledseat, a tubular expansible grappling member mounted on the support forlongitudinal movement relative thereto and having a spiraled face toconform to the contour of and seat upon said seat, said seat and facebeing cooperable upon relative longitudinal movement of the support andmember in one direction to apply a contractive force to the grapple, theinternal diameter of saidv member when the member is in an unexpandedand uncontracted condition being smaller than the external diameter ofan object in a well with which the member is to be engaged, whereby themember will be expanded by the object when the member is moved intosurrounding relation to the object, and abutment means on the supportpositioned for endwise abutting engagement with one end of said memberupon relative longitudinal movement of the support and member in adirection to engage said seatY and face, said seat being positioned forcoaction with said face upon relative rotation of said support and mem.ber in one direction when said one end of said member is in engagementwith said abutment means to contract said member into grippingengagement with said object prior to longitudinal movement of saidsupport and member in said one direction. l

3. A grappling tool of the character described comprising a tubularsupport, means on the support for connecting the support to anoperating-string for rotation with the string, said support having aspiraled seat, an expansible grappling member-mounted on the support forlongitudinal movement relative thereto and having a spiraled face toconform to the contour of and seat upon said seat7 said seat and facebeing positioned to coact upon relative longitudinal movement of thesupport and member in one direction to apply a contractiveforce to themember, the internal diameter of said member when the member is in anunexpanded and uncontracted condition being smaller than the externaldiameter of an object in a well with which the member is to be engaged,whereby the member will be expanded by the object when the member ismoved into surrounding relation to the object, and abutment means on thesupport positioned for engagement with said grappling member uponrelative longitudinal movement between the support and member in theother direction to llimit such relative longitudinal movement in saidother direction, said seat and face being positioned to coact uponrelative rotation of the support and member when said member is inengagement with said abutment means to contract said member intogripping engagement with said object.

4. A grappling tool of the character described comprising a tubularsupport, means on the support for connecting the support to an operatingstring for rotation with the string, said support having a spiraled seattaper; ing radially downwardly and inwardly toward the axis of thesupport and terminating at its lower edge in a shoulder having adownwardly facing spiraled surface disposed substantially at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of said support, a tubular expansiblegrappling member mounted on the support for longitudinal movementrelative thereto and having a tapering spiraled face to conform to thecontour of and seat upon said seat and terminatingat its upper edge in ashoulder, having an upwardly facing spiraled surface disposedsubstantially at right angles to said axis and positioned for engagementwith said spiraled surface of said support upon relative longitudinalmovement of the member and support in one direction to disengage saidface and said seat, the internal -diameter of said member when themember is in an unexpanded and uncontracted condition being smaller thanthe external diameter of an object in a well with which the member is tobe engaged, whereby the member will be expanded by the object when themember is moved into surrounding relation to the object, abutment meanson the support positioned for engagement with said grappling member uponrelative longitudinal movement between the support and member in theother direction to `limit such relative longitudinal movement in saidother direction, said seat being movable in contact with said face uponrelative rotation of the support and member when said one end of saidmember is in engagement with said abutment means to contract said memberinto gripping engagement with said object.

5. A grappling tool of the character described comprising a tubularsupport, means on the support for connecting the support to an operatingstring for rotation and longitudinal movement with the string, saidsupport having a spiraled seat tapering radially downwardly and inwardlytoward the axis of a support and terminating at its lower edge in ashoulder having a downwardly lfacing spiraled surface extendingsubstantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the support, atubular expansible grappling member mounted on the support forlongitudinal movement relative thereto and having a tapering spiraledface to conform to the contour of and seat upon said seat upon relativelongitudinal movement of the member and support in one direction andterminating at its upper edge in a shoulder having an upwardly facingspiraled surface extending substantially at right angles to said axisand positioned for engagement with said spiraled surface of said supportupon relative longitudinal movement of the member and support in theother direction to disengage said face and seat, the internal diameterof said member When the member is lin an unexpanded and uncontractedcondition being smaller than the external diameter of the object in awell with which the member is to be engaged, whereby the member will beexpanded by the object when the member is moved into surroundingrelation to the object, abutment means on the support positioned forengagement with said member to limit relative longitudinal movement ofthe member and support in said disengaging direction, said face andsea-t being in engagement and being movable upon each other uponrelative rotation of the support and member, when said member andabutment are in engagement to contract said member into grippingengagement with said object.

6. A grappling tool of Athe character described comprising a tubularsupport, means on the support for connecting the support to an operatingstring for rotation and longitudinal movement with the string, saidsupport having a spiraled seat tapering radially downwardly and inwardlytoward the axis of the support an-d terminating at its lower edge in Iashoulder having a downwardly facing spiraled surface extendingsubstantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the support, atubular expansi-ble grappling member mounted on the support forlongitudinal movement relative thereto and having a tapering spiraledfface to conform to the contour of and seat upon said seat upon relativelongitudinal movement of the member and support in one direction tocause said member to grippingly engage an object extending into saidmember and whose external diameter is greater than the internal diameterof the member when the member is in an unexpanded condition andterminating at its upper edge in a shoulder having an upwardly facingspiraled surface extending substantially `at right angles to said axisand positioned for engagement with said spiraled surface of said supportupon relative longitudinal movement of the member and support in theother direction, abutment means on the support positioned for engagementwith said member to limit relative longitudinal movement of the memberand support in a direction to disengage said face and seat, saidspiraled surfaces being in engagement and being movable upon each otherupon relative rotation of the support and member in disengagingdirection to impart relative 1ongitudinal movement to the support andmember in said disengaging direction to disengage said member from saidabutment means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSl1,757,363 Fischbach May 6, 1930 l1,965,831 Hamon July 10, 19342,128,430 Pryor Aug. 30, 1938 2,281,389 Shaffer Apr. 28, 1942 2,491,392Osmun Dec. 13, 1949 2,492,813 Osmun Dec. 27, 1949

